Rail bond



July 8, 1941. J, B, BEAM 2,248,845

RAIL BOND Filed May 10, 1940 Patented July 8, 1941 f -rsica RAIL BOND Jacob B. Beam, Punxsptawney, Pa., assignor to Punxsutawney Electric Repair 00., Inc., Punxsutawney, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 10, 1940, Serial No. 334,455

2 Claims. (01. 173--283) This invention is a novel improvement interminals for rail bonds, particularly those used in the light gauge railways of mines or the like Where the rails must be constantly shifted rendering ordinary rail bonds subject to rapid deterioratione The present invention is an improvement upon the rail bond shown in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,748,532, dated February 25, 19-30, and the principal object thereof is to provide a novel railbond terminal having a split rail engaging boss whereby it may be expanded by means of a tapered bolt to snugly fit a hole formed in the web of the rail adjacent the joint, said terminal also having a split wire or cable receiving socket adapt-ed to receive and bind the end of bonding wires or cables of various sizes, said socket being contracted by the same tapered bolt which expands the rail engaging boss, the one tapered bolt thus serving the double function of securing the terminal to the rail and securing the bonding wire in the socket of the terminal as the bolt is drawn into place in the terminal. By the above construction, in event a car should 'become de-railed and thereby break or cut the bonding wire or cable, the tapered bolt need merely be loosened in the terminal without removing the terminal from the position in the rail, and a new length of bonding wire or cable, of any one of various different odd or regular sizes, inserted in the socket, whereby when the bolt is again tightened the socket will be contracted around the end of the wire or cable with a minimum amount of time and efiort required to make the repair.

Other minor objects of the invention will be hereinafter set forth.

I will explain the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one practical embodiment thereof to enable others to adopt and use the same; and will summarize in the claims, the novel features of construction, and novel combinations of parts, for which protection is desired.

In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing adjoining rail sections connected by a rail bond constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1.

Fi 3 is a side elevation of the rail bond terminal, detached. 7

Fig. 4 is a top plan View of said terminal.

Fig. 5 is a socket end view of said terminal.

My novel terminal comprises a U-shaped body I, made of copper or other soft, yieldable metal having electrical conductivity, said body having one face la adapted for contact directly with the web of the rail R as shown in Fig. 2. Projecting from face la is a cylindrical boss lb adapted to enter a circular hole B (Fig. 2) formed in the web of rail R adjacent the rail joint. Body I is provided with a transverse tapered bore lc passing through both legs of the body axially of boss lb, for the reception of a conical spreader bolt 2, the larger end of which bolt is disposed within the boss lb, while the smaller end thereof has a threaded extension 2a for a nut 3, said nut abutting the outer face Id of body I, although if desired a lockwasher 4 may be inserted between nut 3 and body face ld as shown in Fig. 2. Boss l b is split diametrically as at l e, and the split is continued well into the face la of the body at each side of the base of boss lb as shown in Fig. 2, so as topermit the walls of the boss to be readily spread apart in hole R of the rail as the spreader bolt 2 is tightened by nut 3. Said tightening of nut 3 causes the walls of the head and boss to spread with the result that the side walls of the boss very firmly engage the walls of the hole R to establish a good and rapidly applied electrical connection therewith, with very little tendency to rupture the metal of the body I.

in the outer portions of the legs of body I are opposed substantially semi-circular recesses If together forming a split socket for receiving the end of a bonding wire or cable W which may be inserted in the socket. The semi-circular recesses If, as shown in Fig. 2, extend inwardly substantially to the tapered bore l c for the bolt 2 and are preferably disposed on the axis of the body 4 in line with the axis of bolt 2, so that the tightening of nut 3 will not only spread the split boss lb to bind the terminal in the holes R in the rail, but simultaneously the legs of the body will be drawn together to contract the split socket formed by the recesses If around the end of the cable or wire W inserted therein.

Thus the wire or cable W will be rigidly clamped with good electrical connection to the terminal body without the use of solder or'other extraneous fastenings; and by reason of the split socket portions If, various odd or regular sizes of wire or cable W can be used in connection with my terminal irrespective of whether the wire is solid or stranded. Companies using rail bond terminals usually have on hand one or more sizes of used trolley wire or the like among their scrap, andlengths of such scrap wire may be readily utilized to effect an efficient bond utilizing my terminal. In actual test my I fined in the bore of the boss and having a shank extending through the first mentioned bores;

and a. new length of wire or cable inserted in the socket, after which the nut 3 would then be tightened on the bolt 2.

Replacement of a and a nut threaded on the shank and engaging the outer side of the other leg whereby upon loosening the nut said boss may be inserted in the hole in the rail web and a bonding cable of various different types and sizes inserted in the split socket without removing the bolt and nut from the body, and upon subsequent tightening of the nut said bolt will expand the boss and secure the body to the rail to bind the end of the cable therein.

broken bonding wire or cable W utilizing my terminal may thus be efiected with aminimum amount of time and labor, and without removing the terminal from the rail, the single tapered I bolt 2 serving the double function of expanding the boss lb in the hole R of the rail, and at the same time contracting the split socket if around the end of the cable or wire inserted therein. I do not limit my invention to the exact details shown in the drawing, for obviously changes may be made therein within the scope of the claims.

I claim: i i i 1. A bond terminal for rails having holes in the webs thereof, comprising an integral yieldable U-shaped body of electrically conductive material having aligned bores extending through the legs thereof, and having a split cable receiving socket formed by opposed recesses inthe outer portions of said legs; an expansible boss of slightly less size than the hole in the rail 'web extending from the outer side of one leg and having a bore extending therethrough registering with the first mentioned bores; a bolt having a boss expanding head of less maximum diameter than the aperture in the rail flange con- V 2. A bond terminal for rails having holes in the webs thereof, comprising an integral yield- 'able U-Vshaped body of electrically conductive material having aligned bores extending through the legs thereof and having a split cable receiving socket formed by opposed recesses in the outer portions of said legs; a split boss of slightly less size than the hole in the rail web extendin fromthe outer side of one leg and having an outwardly tapering bore extending therethrough registering with the first mentioned bores; a bolt having'a correspondingly tapered head of less maximum diameter than the aperture in the rail flange disposed in the tapered bore and having a shank extending through the first mentioned bores; and a nut threaded on the shank and engaging the outer side of the other leg, whereby upon loosening the nut said boss may be inserted in the hole in the rail web and a bonding cable of various different types and sizes inserted in the split socket without disassembling-the bolt and nut from the body, and whereby upon subsequent tightening of the nut said bolt will expand the boss and secure the body to the rail and simultaneously contract the socket to bind the end of the cable therein.

. JACOB B. BEAM. 

